NEWS: Hagerty Picks 10 Future Classics, Do You Agree?

Picking which cars will become classics is a lot like playing the stock market: it takes a little insight and a lot of luck. Insurance company Hagerty thinks it has found ten new cars on sale today that will become sought-after classics in the future.

"This year's Hot List is comprised of vehicles from a wide variety of market segments and manufacturers, but they all share one thing in common -- a certain 'cool' factor that will be remembered by car enthusiasts for many years to come," explains Hagerty president and CEO McKeel Hagerty. Take a look at the list below, and let us know whether you agree with the company's picks in the comments section.

SRT Viper: Hagerty selected it because it celebrates the mantra of "no replacement for displacement" even as other automakers downsize engines. We said the 8.4-liter V-10 engine, "has always been a thundering powerhouse, but it now packs the explosive immediacy that a proper ten-cylinder engine deserves."

Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible: This swan-song for the sixth-generation Corvette was essentially a Z06 convertible. Hagerty says that the last year of any Corvette is especially valuable; we say the 505-hp, 7.0-liter V-8 -- "is still in our minds the best Vette engine" -- will attract power-hungry future buyers.

Audi RS5: Hagerty the RS5's sultry styling as a reason why it will eventually attain classic status, but we think there's another reason: performance. Even though it came third in a comparison test, we found "the Audi is unbelievably quick;" it trounced a BMW M3, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, and Porsche Boxster S on a track.

Porsche Cayman S: No argument here; we love the redesigned Porsche Boxster, and its hardtop cousin, the Cayman, is one of the cars we're most excited to drive this year. "Like the updated Boxster, the new Porsche Cayman is more powerful and more efficient than the outgoing version," we said. It will do 0-to-60-mph in as little as 4.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 175 mph.

Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible: Forget the Corvette 427 -- this 580-hp supercharged monster is the most powerful convertible Chevrolet has ever put into series production. We love it just as much as the coupe version: "Whether the roof is made of steel or polyester doesn't change the fact that the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is a fabulous sports car that delivers both big performance and big fun."

Tesla Model S: Hagerty was presumably influenced by the fact that we named Elon Musk's luxury machine our 2013 Automobile of the Year. "More than any electric car that has come before it, the Model S feels and drives like a gasoline car of the same price," making it a game-changer that's sure to become a future classic.

Mini Cooper John Cooper Works GP: With only 500 destined for the U.S. market, this hopped-up Mini will certainly have exclusivity on its side. Need another reason the JCW GP will become a classic? It has 211 hp and can reach 150 mph, more than enough performance from such a petite hatchback.

Subaru BRZ: We agree with Hagery's recognition of the BRZ as "one of the lightest sports coupes" on sale today, but we'd be remiss if we didn't note the car is mechanically paired with the Scion FR-S. Still, it's clearly a thrilling car that will resonate with enthusiasts for years to come. "A sports car doesn't need to look good in the stats box, it just needs to be a great drive," we said. "And the BRZ is a great drive."

Volkswagen GTI: A two-time Automobile of the Year recipient, Hagerty agrees with us that the GTI is "fun, cool, and practical." The German hatchback expertly fuses performance with day-to-day livability, and just like all GTIs since 1976, it has a devotee cult of followers. "The key to that code, of course, is the blend of athleticism, practicality, and performance that was the basis of the original GTI," we said.

Ford Focus ST: The GTI has a challenger in the form of a turbocharged Focus. The go-fast hatch represents the first time in a decade that Ford has brought a high-performance compact to America, and Hagerty believes that alone will attract collectors. "The Ford ST is not exactly a world-beater in terms of refinement, handling balance, or ergonomics," we said. "But it does offer a lot of car and performance for the money."

So, which of these will become future classics, and which hot cars did Hagerty forget? Sound off in the comments section below.

Source: Hagerty

Comments

Photo Gallery

You May Also Like

As everybody knows, Porsche has been hit hard with brand expansion disease. Read on to learn more about the 2013 Porsche Boxster S in this driven article brought to you by the automotive experts at Automobile Magazine.

Classic car insurance company Hagerty released its annual “Hot List,” a top-ten list assembled by the company’s valuations experts that predicts which current vehicles will the collector cars of the future.

Most Viewed Articles

Automobile offers a rich and varied examination of the automotive universe in all its forms - delivered by our stable of first-class editors and freelance contributors and illustrated with vibrant photography.